Trump: N. Korea’s missile tests not ‘breach of trust’

WASHINGTON: North Korean missile launches over the past week have not affected Donald Trump’s relationship with Kim Jong-un, the US president said, in a change of course after initially expressing his dissatisfaction.

Pyongyang fired two short-range missiles on Thursday following an earlier drill the previous Saturday – the first in 18 months.

The North had not launched any missiles since November 2017, shortly before once reclusive Kim embarked on diplomatic overtures.

“I don’t consider that a breach of trust at all. And, you know, at some point I may. But at this point no,” Trump said on Friday.

“These were short-range missiles and very standard stuff. Very standard.”

A day earlier, however, Trump showed his irritation and impatience on an issue where he hopes to succeed while all his predecessors – Republicans and Democrats – have failed.

“Nobody’s happy about it,” he said, in reaction to the launches.

“We’ll see what happens. I know they want to negotiate, they’re talking about negotiating. But I don’t think they are ready to negotiate.”

Will the US president at some point lose faith in Kim?

He has met twice with the North Korean leader and claimed that the two have a special friendship and even “love.”

“I mean it’s possible that at some point I will, but right now not at all,” said Trump.

Seventy countries urged North Korea on Friday to scrap its nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and related programmes, decrying the “undiminished threat” posed to world peace.

Signatories included the United States and South Korea, as well as nations in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

Russia and China, supporters of Pyongyang, did not sign the document drafted by France.